Rise of the Fallen Page 7

  “I will not wait for anyone.” Apollyon sneered and drew his sword.

  Razeem, Validus, and the third angel readied themselves.

  “Hold your sword, Apollyon, or you will see no one.” Michael’s voice boomed across the gate as he came. “What do you want?”

  Razeem backed away quickly to let Michael face Apollyon.

  “Your Master has broken His word, and I want to know why. Take me to Him, now!” Apollyon demanded.

  “Your deception of others has served you well, Apollyon. But now you have deceived even yourself. Elohim’s words are always true, even if you don’t understand them.” Michael turned to Validus. “Gather the fourth-century guards and bring them to the gate.”

  “Yes, Archangel.” Validus turned.

  “A hundred angels to guard me? I am honored, Michael. Or are you just afraid?”

  “I will do whatever it takes to keep your stench from leaking into Zion. You will be escorted to the Court of Presentation where you will wait. If the Holy One wishes to see you, He will come to you there.”

  Validus flew with all speed to the captain of the fourth-century guards and relayed Michael’s order.

  The captain’s eyes opened wide. “Apollyon! Are you sure?”

  Validus just looked at him.

  “Tell the archangel we will be there directly.”

  Validus saluted and returned.

  The Court of Presentation was near the base of the Holy Mount in the seventh sector of the city. It was a magnificent court lined with marble pillars that supported a multilevel hanging garden that was not equaled in the entire Middle Realm. This was where the angels presented themselves before Elohim. Here Yeshua Ben Elohim, the Son of God, would come to meet Apollyon.

  Validus was not sure of his own role now, for his duty as guardian of the gate was over, but his mission for Michael seemed to allow him to remain as part of the escort cadre, and so he did. No one seemed to mind one more sword with Apollyon this close.

  Since the rebellion, Validus had never heard of Elohim allowing Apollyon into Zion, let alone into His holy presence. Every angel was alert with sword drawn. Michael ordered extra guards to be stationed around the entire city of Zion as a precaution against the trickery of Apollyon and the Fallen.

  Validus watched Michael carefully. If something were to go wrong, he would be the first to realize it.

  Michael looked upward, and all eyes followed his gaze. Yeshua was descending without wings into the court from the Holy Mount. His radiant white robe gently billowed behind Him, and a purple sash crossed His chest. When Yeshua set foot onto the Court of Presentation, Validus was relieved, and he was sure that every other angel was as well. What could go wrong in the presence of the Almighty?

  Unlike the eyes of mercy and compassion Validus usually saw, Yeshua’s eyes burned white with judgment. He stared at Apollyon, and the evil rebel stared back. At first he seemed undaunted by the piercing eyes of the Holy One, but it did not last. Validus saw him weaken and avert his eyes, covering with his words.

  “I now rule the Middle Realm.” Apollyon turned and walked away, lifting his gaze up to the gardens. “And it was not hard to conquer.”

  “Why are you here, Lucifer?”

  Apollyon turned back. “I should think You would know why.” He pointed a finger at Yeshua. “You are not keeping Your word.”

  Yeshua waited.

  “As stated in the Genesis Accord, You declared that You would not interfere with my attempts to conquer earth.” Apollyon walked back to face Yeshua, his countenance fierce and accusatory.

  “Have I interfered?”

  Apollyon rebutted. “But You are planning—”

  “Have you conquered the earth?”

  Apollyon glared but said nothing.

  Validus could not help a subtle smile crossing his lips. What a fool to contest with the Almighty!

  “The Genesis Accord has been fulfilled. By your own words, you have conquered the earth.” Yeshua’s eyes seethed with anger. “And now I will destroy it!”

  “And what of my warriors?” Apollyon dared ask. “Will I lose them all?”

  Yeshua paused. “As many of My warriors that survive, I will spare the same of yours from the Abyss, but they will be bound.”

  Yeshua turned to speak to Michael. The exchange was over.

  “This is just?” Apollyon called out.

  Yeshua turned back and lowered His chin, His gaze once more piercing the darkened heart of this nemesis. “You have devoured children and brought death to My creation. Your angels have translated themselves into the form of men and corrupted the hearts of My people. Do you want Me to deal with you justly?”

  Apollyon grimaced. Contempt filled his face, and he launched himself upward with two massive strokes of his dark wings. The captain of the century guards looked at Michael.

  “Follow him,” Michael said. “Make sure he exits Zion directly.”

  The captain saluted, and one hundred angels followed after Apollyon. Validus remained, feeling ill at ease in the presence of Yeshua and the archangel.

  “Encourage General Jorill and the remnant warriors, Michael. The years ahead will be difficult. The Fallen will unleash everything to stop My judgment. This war is far from over.”

  “Yes, my Lord.” Michael bowed low, then launched into the sky above them.

  Yeshua turned His gaze to Validus.

  The questions Validus struggled with surfaced in his mind. Dare he speak? Dare he ask?

  “What burdens your heart, My son?” Yeshua asked.

  The fierceness was gone. The velvet of His voice soothed Validus, and he knelt down before the Almighty.

  “My Lord, I do not question Your wisdom or Your righteous ways but rather my limited understanding of them.”

  “I see your heart, Validus. Rise up and ask what you may.”

  Validus slowly lifted himself and stood before his King. “The sin of humanity has indeed corrupted all of creation, and there are none that are not worthy of death. And yet, great King, the little ones seem so helpless, so much a victim of the sins of their fathers.” Validus was not asking Elohim for a different plan, only understanding so he could bear the judgment to come with some measure of callousness. He searched the eyes of Elohim, but instead he felt transparent.

  Elohim smiled. “Your heart of mercy is one after My own. Don’t be distraught with the fate of the children of men.” Elohim looked down toward earth, and His smile faded to sadness. “For twenty years before My judgment I will make barren the wombs of all women upon the face of the earth, that all may choose of their own accord who they will follow, the ways of God or the ways of Apollyon.”

  Validus felt the grief of his Lord and yet cherished His wisdom.

  “My Lord, what may I do to serve Thee wholly? To be is not enough. To watch is not enough. Use me, my King. Command me, and I will go.”

  Elohim placed a hand on Validus’s shoulder, and he felt the power of creation flow through his body. It crushed him and strengthened him all at the same time.

  “You will serve, Validus, and you will lead. And when the day comes, remember My mercy, remember My compassion, and remember My future for man. Remember, for your heart is after My own, and you will not fall! I have a Plan, and all it needs is one heart with no guile.”

  Validus could not see beyond the walls of time, but he could see the power and the love of the Almighty, and he trusted. Elohim lifted Himself up and returned to the Holy Mount.

  In the days that followed, Validus could hardly keep himself from the Hall of Vision, and rarely was he alone. Even Persimus watched each day.

  Validus didn’t guide the portal far from the region of Sumeria. There the remnant warrior forces gathered, near the fertile Valley of Tamak, the place of Elohim’s visitation. This was Noah’s home.

  The angels who remained knew their fate. Because of the Genesis Accord, there would be no help. This was their last mission … their last stand. Beyond the borders of the warrior
angel defense was a world in utter depravity, and it churned Validus’s stomach to see it. Apparently humanity needed no help devising wicked schemes of its own.

  General Jorill, Commanders Hillsol, Danick, Brandt, and Yelwanah survived along with nine captains and 324 warriors. On earth they were now outnumbered sixteen to one. And though these few hundred were the strongest and most skilled of all the warriors who had come to earth fifteen hundred years ago, how could they survive against such odds? How could they preserve the line of Seth and ultimately Elohim’s Plan against the overpowering forces of the Fallen?

  Validus was enamored watching the genius of General Jorill and his commanders as they planned their final stand. Jorill divided the remaining warriors into nine companies of thirty-six angels, each one commanded by a captain. Commander Danick was given three companies. Commanders Hillsol, Brandt, and Yelwanah were each given two. Each commander was assigned a quadrant to protect, two companies for each direction. Danick’s third company was assigned expedition duty to protect Noah and his sons whenever they gathered supplies.

  The Fallen didn’t wait long after their revelry from the victory at Kish to start their attacks on Noah, his family, and his land. They were relentless as the man, his wife, his sons, and their wives gathered supplies, worked, and built that which Elohim had commanded.

  General Tarsis tried every devious tactic imaginable to crush the defenses of Noah’s angelic guardians, but the man seemed to know each time there was war in the realm of angels, and he fell to his knees in prayer. The power of Elohim flowed down into the arms and swords of his band of protectors, and they rose up to fend off the vile attacks of the Fallen each time. Validus was amazed at how Elohim moved each time a righteous man or woman prayed, and he was equally amazed at how often they didn’t. But Noah was a man of prayer.

  And although angels fell, for each warrior who dissolved to Mount Simcha, twenty demons dissolved to the Abyss. The valiant warriors of Elohim lived and fought and died for 120 years, defending the last righteous man of earth until there were but eighty-two warriors left. The attacks of the Fallen were singular, knowing the time was near, for Noah had built the ark Elohim had commanded.

  The destruction of earth was coming. Validus could not imagine how such a thing would be accomplished, but every warrior, both of the angelic and of the Fallen orders on earth, understood what it would mean for them.

  8

  ECHOES OF THE PAST

  Present Day

  On his way back to the United States of America, Validus detoured to the icy northern region of Greenland. It was usually safe—the Fallen hated the cold. Flying such distances alone was rather foolish, and he knew Hulan would have protested had he given him the chance, but the urgency of his orders had required a breach of protocol.

  He skimmed the island’s massive icecap until he was well inland, then stopped and settled onto a ridge of ice. His white ivory wings blended in with the pearly frigid landscape. Validus found it peaceful, a place to pause, if only for a few moments. It was one of the few places left on earth still untouched by the wars of men.

  He filled his lungs with the icy air and turned his mind to the orders at hand.

  He had seen mistakes made in centuries past, mistakes that cost the lives of many warriors. Was this another?

  Validus had risen from the lowliest of warriors to one of the top primus commanders. And now he had been demoted. From the watch-guard of millions to that of one man, Drew Carter, a man he had never even heard of, living in the heart of his own command.

  His mind raced through the logic of it, tempering his frustration with his trust and faith in the ways of Elohim. Was this a decision by Elohim or Michael? Why did Gabriel deliver the order?

  He struggled with embracing the inevitability of his new mission. He would have to put his headquarters in order before leaving his command, but it wouldn’t take long. He had been efficient in establishing order and communication for this hemisphere. All his warriors knew what to expect and what to do in the absence of a leader. Structure was paramount to a smooth operation, especially during battle, but equally important was the autonomous operation of the men under command should the chain of authority be broken by attrition.

  Validus turned his eyes toward heaven and wondered if any of the heavenly host watched the affairs of men and angels as he once did. How much longer would the war go on? He had heard from a guardian that the Book of Life was nearly full. How much longer?

  “Okay, Drew Carter, let’s find out who you are.”

  Validus launched himself upward and flew directly toward Rivercrest, Kansas. As he approached the outskirts of the small city, he set down and demorphed his wings.

  One of the challenges he was going to face was the fact that many of the Fallen in this hemisphere knew who he was, which would bring attention to his charge, the man he was now commissioned to protect. The more he considered this likelihood, the more he realized that he might be Carter’s biggest liability. He would have to keep his distance from the man and remain undetected by any of the Fallen until he could figure out what was actually happening.

  It would probably also mean translating to physical form, where he could disguise himself from the Fallen much easier, although there were always risks with translation. Translating to human form dulled the senses, reduced speed, and increased the threat of dissolution due to an unseen attacker. On top of that, Validus was skilled at translating weapons upward, not his physical body downward. The level of concentration was considerably higher. Some guardians had mastered it, but it was not typical for a warrior.

  It was five in the morning in Rivercrest, the perfect time to do a little investigating before getting back to headquarters and transferring leadership.

  The Carter residence was near the outskirts of town in a moderate ranchstyle home. Validus took a few minutes to reconnoiter the residence, making sure there were no Fallen around before he stepped through the back wall of the home and into the living room. Validus felt a little odd. For the last eighty years he had been analyzing enemy forces, strategizing battle plans, and commanding over seventy-five thousand warriors. Now he was investigating the trinkets of one lone family in the plains of Kansas.

  Validus walked toward a wall where some pictures hung. Drew Carter was a handsome young man. In one of the pictures, Carter was sitting on a couch and his mother had her arms wrapped around him from behind. She was smiling from ear to ear. The sparkle in her eyes made Validus smile. Her love for her son was obvious. As Validus stared at her deep-blue eyes, something shivered inside him. Memories of the past tugged at his mind, but he didn’t know why.

  He moved on and saw two men in the lives of Drew and his mother—an older picture with one man and a more recent photo with another. He recognized the eyes of war in both. There was a military history in the family, and Validus felt an instant connection.

  He stepped through one of the bedroom doors. The soft sounds of slumber from a sleeping woman filled the room. He paused to gaze at her. Aside from her physical beauty, Validus sensed purity in her spirit, and yet Ruach Elohim was not with her. It saddened him.

  He materialized through the wall into Drew’s bedroom, but his charge was not there. He quickly made note of the items and photos in the room—football, guns, camping, girls, college, Mustangs, weights, and two men, a father no longer in his life and the other probably his mother’s boyfriend.

  “Where would a nineteen-year-old be at 5:30 in the morning?” he asked himself.

  Validus wondered if Carter was a prodigal child, prone to parties and late nights. He pitied the mother and wondered if his mission was going to involve watching another young man methodically destroy his life by becoming enslaved to the wiles of the Fallen. There truly was nothing new under the sun.

  At one point in his life Validus had nearly given up on humanity, which caused him to marvel at the limitless grace of Elohim. Generation after generation he watched countless lives being destroyed by the tactics
of the Fallen. But even the propagators of evil paid a price.

  Validus scoffed at the foolish theories of mankind, thinking they were on a path of evolution toward godhood. If only they knew—sin produced exactly the opposite.

  9

  THE CURSE OF DEVOLUTION

  2348 BC

  In spite of their looming fate, much to Validus’s surprise, some Fallen were so unable to refrain from utter indulgence in the rampant evil of humanity that General Tarsis was vexed with keeping his army focused.

  One day Validus was watching the tactics of Tarsis when one of his captains could not be found.

  “Guldomak, where is Tulgard?” Tarsis glared at his first commander, his fingers massaging the pommel of his sword. “I wanted a report of the last supply run an hour ago. Where is it?” he screamed.

  Guldomak cringed. “I will find him and kill him myself, my lord.”

  “Don’t kill him, you imbecile. Put him at the front of our next attack with your sword at his back. And if you can’t keep control of your men, you will be next.”

  Guldomak’s eyes narrowed and his face contorted into a scowl. He left the presence of Tarsis and yelled for a contingent of warriors to find Tulgard.

  Validus had seen enough and was about to check on Commander Danick when one of the Fallen ran to report to Guldomak.

  “Commander, I know where Tulgard is.”

  “Bring him to me now! If he isn’t here within the next two minutes, I will send him to the Abyss myself!”

  The warrior hesitated. “I think you should come and see this for yourself, sir.”

  Guldomak’s eyes turned red with fury. “What is going on, Poxel?”

  The warrior looked down at the ground. “Captain Tulgard has been inciting and participating in the murder, perversion, and cannibalism of the Gordorites at Kish, my lord.”

  “We have no time for pleasure now. That will come once we eradicate Jorill and his despicable warriors. Find Tulgard and bring him to me,” Guldomak ordered.

  “That’s just it, my lord. We can’t bring him. No one dares go near him.”